aswell as taking part in actions please respond to the socpa consultation, at the very least by following the 3 points set out below. you can read more about this at www.peopleincommon.org which has been recently updated [my thanks to A for this :-) ]

but for those that haven't the time to read the news, the three key points about the consultation news are also set out below at [1], with links to the excellent repeal socpa site and the consultation paper.

also, find below at [2] related news from yesterday's visit to number 10, kindly put together by rikki

please circulate widely so that we can ensure the govt gets lots of responses

cheers
mark

[1] RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

In case you missed it, Gordon Brown once promised to repeal s.132-138 of SOCPA, which bans unauthorised demos and assemblies within 1km of Parliament, yet still it remains on the statute books. In October the government published a consultation document, "Managing protest around Parliament" which raised the question of whether or not to repeal s.132-8 (in spite of all the negative publicity, no-brainer). Worse, a spectre haunts the consultation, as it appears from the wording the police wish to increase their already formidable powers so they can, as at Parliament under SOCPA, control assemblies everywhere else in the country.


So, believe it or not, there is now a real and present danger the state will use the consultation as a fig-leaf with which to remove our hard won right to freely protest anywhere, anytime - by embarking on what is being called a "harmonisation upwards". It is therefore vital anyone who cares about the right to protest in this country responds to the Government consultation by the 17th January deadline. For more info on the details of this possible 'harmonisation', see below. But if you just want to know what to do, the consensus on how to respond to the consultation for the good of democracy is as follows:


(a) Call for sections 132 - 138 of SOCPA to be repealed


(b) Call for no increase in police powers to control marches and assemblies around Parliament or elsewhere (and so, in particular, no "harmonisation upwards" - see www.repeal-socpa.info for more on this).


(c) Call for no new "special provisions" for static demonstrations and marches around Parliament (again, see www.repeal-socpa.info for more info).


Please take this important opportunity to show the strength of opposition to SOCPA, but also that restrictions on our democratic right to freely protest and assembly around Parliament, or anywhere else in the UK, are completely unacceptable. Please respond to this consultation, and ask all of your friends to do the same. Responses should be emailed to  protestaroundParliament@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or can be sent by post.


You can find out more about these three points by reading the Briefing Paper at  http://www.repeal-socpa.info. Also, a PDF file of the Home Office consultation document is available at  http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2007-managing-protest


[2] Rikki's News
---------- Forwarded message ---------
a group of cross-party politicians and activists delivered a petition
at 10 downing street on wednesday morning calling for the repeal of
the socpa legislation.

it is part of a series of events, film screenings, and protests
leading up to the close of the government 'consultation' "managing
protest around parliament" which looks set to recommend the rolling
out of increased police powers to curtail protest throughout the
country

there is a picture report at
 http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389039.html
plus a film with interviews from yesterday at
 http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389115.html

the reports contain details of other events, as well as links to background info